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Located in the heart of Alto Pass, Illinois, the Root Beer Saloon seems to put on display the collection of some long dead hoarder. Entering the saloon is like walking into a cave, as the sheer volume of novelties affixed to every spare inch of the place makes the space seem tiny, dark, and slightly claustrophobic. It is an interesting collection including many taxidermied animals, some native and some not native to the area, a cigar-store Indian, and more.

The Root Beer Saloon, besides serving excellent Fitz’s brand draft root beer, sells a variety of pastries, ice cream and strangely, lobster. These food items are not worth the trip alone, but they do provide some much-needed sustenance as one tries to take in everything around them.

Know Before You Go

When I went to the Root Beer Saloon in the winter of 2008 we were asked not to take photos.

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